After a one-year hiatus from racing, Tony Cicale has returned to Team Green as chief engineer for the team's competition in the 1997 PPG CART World Series.

Cicale will oversee race engineering on Team KOOL Green's #27 Reynard 97I-Honda race car driven by Parker Johnstone. Cicale will work with team engineers Scott Graves and John Dick to refine the chassis, engine and Firestone tire combination new to the team in its quest for the 1997 PPG Cup.

Cicale first worked with team owner Barry Green on Forsythe-Green Racing's 1993 Toyota Atlantic campaign with driver Jacques Villeneuve. Cicale continued with the team and Villeneuve to Indy car competition in 1994 and 1995, earning the latter year's PPG Cup championship and a victory at the Indianapolis 500 before taking a year off to pursue other interests.

"I decided to return to Team Green because of the good working relationship I'd had in the past with Barry and the entire staff," Cicale said. "Hopefully, I will be able to contribute toward achieving Parker's and the team's goals."

In addition to winning the 1995 PPG Cup with Team Green, Cicale has two other titles to his credit, both with Newman/Haas Racing. Mario Andretti earned Cicale's first championship with the team in 1984, followed by Michael Andretti in 1991. Cicale's Indy car background also includes race engineering for Patrick Racing, Galles Racing and the Quaker State/Porsche team.

"We're thrilled that Tony is returning to the team this year," said Barry Green, president and owner of Team Green. "Tony has remarkable ability and insight. I have had the good fortune to work with Tony for a number of years, as both an owner and a team manager, and we've earned a lot of wins together. His presence really completes the team."

Prior to joining the Indy car circuit, Cicale designed , built and fielded a competitive 2-liter entry in the Can-Am series. He retired from driving in 1980 to concentrate on designing and developing cars for other teams. He began with a successful VDS Can-Am racing design prior to becoming involved in the PPG CART World Series in 1983.

Source: CART News Service